Iain Stirling speaks with Tahira Endean, head of programming at IMEX, about the evolving landscape of event education and design. With over 250 sessions and 300 speakers, IMEX America’s learning program is a masterclass in intentionality, innovation, and inclusivity. Tahira shares how her team’s global perspective, passion for human-centred experiences, and commitment to well-being and community building shape the program’s vision. From AI and neurodivergence to immersive storytelling and experimental formats, this conversation explores how IMEX is redefining what it means to learn, connect, and grow at live events.
IS: When you begin planning the IMEX America education program, how do you envision the overall learning journey for attendees and what outcomes do you most hope to achieve?
TE: It all starts with listening. I travel around 150 days a year, attending events across the globe, and many of our team members do the same. We’re constantly absorbing what’s happening in the industry, what people are talking about, and what they need.
Our goal is to blend personal and professional development in a way that’s meaningful. We know attendees are busy – meetings are essential – but we want them to carve out time for education that resonates.
We offer nine tracks, each designed to reflect a wide spectrum of interests. They’re not evenly weighted because we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Some tracks, like leadership or sustainability, may have fewer sessions, but every attendee should be able to find something that speaks to them.
We always encourage people to look at the education schedule as soon as appointments open. Pick a few sessions—most are just 25 to 45 minutes—and block that time for yourself. Many of the 250+ sessions listed online are already favourited, so clearly people are engaging.
IS: I’m guilty of not doing that myself! But the sessions really help shift your mindset away from constant repetitive conversations on the show floor.
TE: Exactly. Education should offer new ways of thinking. Whether it’s about contracting, well-being, or sustainability, we want attendees to leave with better questions to ask exhibitors – questions that go beyond logistics and dig into impact. It’s not just “how many rooms do you have?” but “how will you help me create a memorable experience?”
IS: What core themes or guiding principles shaped this year’s reimagined learning program, and how do you ensure they resonate with such a diverse, global audience?
TE: For the past two years, our Talking Point has been “impact.” This is the final show under that umbrella, and everything we’ve done has aligned with that North Star – how can we create positive impact through events?
We’re very aware that our two shows – IMEX Frankfurt and IMEX America – serve different audiences. While some people attend both, many choose one. Topics like diversity or sustainability are approached differently across regions, so we tailor our content accordingly.
Across both shows we focus on bringing global voices to the stage. We strive for diversity in perspectives, and we do that by listening. Our Sales and Impact teams are constantly gathering insights, and we use that feedback to shape the program.
IS: With your background in intentional event design, how do you strike the right balance between inspirational content and actionable takeaways across the 250+ sessions?
TE: We’re actually closer to 300 speakers and over 200 sessions now. My background in intentional event design, through teaching and writing, has shaped how I work with the team on our approach. My first book, Intentional Event Design: Our Professional Opportunity, focused on learning and performance design. My second, Our KPI is Joy, explores how live events catalyse happiness, productivity, and trust.
We design for the whole human. Even in a short session, attendees should leave with something tangible.
We work with partners like DI, MPI and PCMA, as well as associations like SITE and IAPCO. Each brings content tailored to their audience, and we ensure it complements rather than duplicates. Some attendees spend a full day at the Inspiration Hub, while others strategically choose sessions around meetings. We take that seriously.
We balance practical toolkits – contracts, F&B, marketing – with inspirational sessions so everyone walks away with something useful.
IS: Do you also handle speaker selection?
TE: Yes, that’s part of my role. We receive submissions, scout speakers at other events, and have conversations year-round. Saying no is the hardest part – not because the content isn’t great, but because we may not have space or it may not fit our audience.
For example, sales-focused sessions don’t work for us because most salespeople are in booths. Our audience is 70% buyers – agency, association, or corporate – so we cater to their needs.
IS: What emerging issues or opportunities – like AI, well-being, or experiential design – most influenced this year’s tracks and topics?
TE: AI is huge, and our partners are covering it from every angle – prompting, ethics, applications. But what’s really interesting is the shift toward human interaction, or HI. Many associations are leaning into that, and I fully support it. AI is a tool – it creates efficiencies, but it should free us to focus on human-centred design.
Well-being is another major focus. We have 70 sessions and over 30 presenters covering mental health, emotional intelligence, and neurodivergence. We’ve created spaces such as the Circadian Cove, by Olympian Meeting, and the Resilience Room, powered by Hello! DMC.
Circadian Cove offers programming from 7:30 a.m. to the end of the day – VR, stretching, journaling, mindfulness. The Resilience Room is designed as a calm retreat to help manage overwhelm. These spaces are just off the show floor, in quieter areas, and they’re easy to find.
IS: The new “Community Builders” track signals a shift toward deeper connection. What trends or audience insights led you to prioritise community building?
TE: We say IMEX is the heartbeat of the global community, and we aim to live up to that. Earlier this year, the U.S. Surgeon General published a 32-page “prescription for America,” emphasising the need for more community. Globally, we face challenges – some geopolitical, but we focus on the human side.
Many attendees are working on community within their organisations, so we’ve created sessions that offer tools, dialogue, playful learning, and connection. We want them to meet speakers, engage in activations, and take ideas back to their own events to build stronger communities.
IS: Some sessions are more experimental. How do you approach creative risks, and how do you learn from what works – or doesn’t?
TE: IMEX is a safe space for experimentation. We’ve introduced “Tough Talks” and “Open Conversations” on topics like IVF, neurodivergence, mental health, and grief. These are led by facilitators with lived experience or training. We don’t plan to cover sensitive topics unless someone brings them forward.
IMEX supports this wholeheartedly. When I proposed a session on mental health and suicide, the response from Carina was, “Great – who’s leading it?” That openness is rare, and it’s what makes IMEX special.
As for experiential design, we have a strong track. At the show, we have several active members of the World Experience Organization and alumni of the College of Extraordinary Experiences who are experts in bringing immersive elements and storytelling into sessions.
IS: With so many moving parts – from speaker selection to scheduling – what does the timeline and team coordination look like behind the scenes?
TE: It’s a year-round process. We use Mural to build a live board that evolves constantly. After IMEX America, we then start building IMEX Frankfurt’s program, which is finalised by February. America’s program begins in June for the October show.
People often think we build programs last-minute, but it’s a massive undertaking. We leave room for flexibility when urgent topics arise.
IS: What are your thoughts on AI platforms like Snapsight? How do they transform the learning experience?
TE: We work with several tools – Wordly for live translation, Snapsight for key takeaways, and Zenus for sentiment analysis. Snapsight is amazing – it’s a great use of AI. It provides quick and easy access to takeaways from the education sessions.
These highlights, available online and via the app, will allow attendees to put aside their notebooks and be fully present and focused in the sessions. Snapsight also helps with writing bios and descriptions. For our Marcomms team, it’s a game-changer – no more manual notetaking.
Zenus gives us real-time feedback on attendee sentiment, which we use to improve. We even have sessions analysing this real-time data- there’s a session with neuroscientists and immersive storytellers, asking: did we hit the joy metrics?
IS:
